Nut and pipe wrench.



PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

H, B. SHAVER. NUT AND PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED mun, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

WW JES EEEI PATENTBD FEB. 12, 1907.

H. B. SHAVER. NUT AND PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULYll, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHIIET 2.

mW/w/ Rh w 1 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTGE HUSTEAD B. SHAVER, OFFLEMINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TO JOHN WV. DAVIDSON,OF FLEMINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

NUT AND PlPE WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed July 11.1906. Serial No. 325,642.

T0 at who/1'1, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUsTEAD B. SHAVER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of rlemington, county of Taylor, and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nutand Pipe renches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches, andmore particularly to a quick-acting wrench of the sliding-j aw type; andit has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and comparativelyinexpensive wrench adapted for use either as a nut-wrench orpipe-wrench.

A further object is to provide a combination nut and pipe wrench havinga rack-bar and a movable jaw and having novel adjust ing means whereby aclose adjustment of the movable jaw may be had v ithout sacrificingstrength either in the teeth of the rach or in the teeth of therack-engaging mechanism carried by said jaw.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wrench of thecharacter mentioned in which the movable parts work with extreme easeand freedom and in which the parts are but little liable to become outof .order.

In describing the invention in detail reference is herein had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Iigure 1 is a side elevation of the wrench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear edge elevation of the same.Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, enlarged, of the movable jawdetached from the shank or rack-bar. I ig. 5 is a crosssectional view ofthe wrench, taken on the line 5 5, 41. Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsectional view of the movable jaw, taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 1, andshowing tl ree springpressed detents. Fig. 7 is a similar view showingfour spring-pressed detents; and big. 8 is a cross-section of thewrench, taken on the line 8 8, Fig. 4.

Referring to said drawings, in which like reference numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the stem or shankof the wrench, having an integral jaw 2 and handle 3. Slidably mountedupon said stem is a movable jaw 41, consisting of alongitudinally-apertured body 5, having formed integral therewith alongitudinal tailpiece 6, which is connected at its rear end with orcarries integral therewith an apertured lug 7, as shown. Said body 5 andsaid lug 7 stand parallel to each other, and the apertures 8 and 9,respectively provided therein, are in line in respect to each other,forming a shankway in which the shank or rack-bar 1 is held. Saidtailpiece 6 stands parallel to and at a suitable distance from thetoothed edge 10 of the rack-bar. V ertically slidable between said body5 and the lug 8 is a yoke or stirrup 11, which straddles the shank orrack-bar and incloses the rectangular chamber 12, which is bounded ordefined on four sides by the rack-bar 1, the body 5, the tailpiece 6,and the lug 7. Mounted in said chamber 12 and rigidly secured by pins orrivets 13 to the opposite sides or members of the yoke or stirrup 11 isa detent or clutching member 14, having a series of teeth 15, adapted toengage the teeth of the rackbar. Said detent 14 is of a widthsubstantially the same as that of the rackbar. Hence the teeth 15thereof, which are spaced to correspond with the spacing of the teeth ofthe rack-bar, are of equal strength with those of the rack-b ar. Aspring 16, suitably mounted beneath the detent, holds the same normallyin engagement with the rack-bar. Intermediate its ends said detent 14 isprovided with a substantially rectangular recess 17, in which is mounteda second detent 18, the teeth of which are normally held in engagementwith the rack-bar by a sprin 20, which is suitably mounted for thepurpose. A bolt, screw, or rivet 21 is projected through a l transverseaperture 22 is said detent 18, the ends of which are fixed in theopposite sides or members of the stirrup 11. Said aperture 22 isrelatively larger in size than the pin or rivet 21, which extendstherethrough. T herefore the said detent 18 is freely movable, being inno way retarded in its vertical or reciprocating movement by said pin orrivet.

It will be noted that the teeth of the detents 14 and 18 are so arrangedthat the teeth of but one detent may stand in operative or clutchingengagement with the teeth of the rack-bar at a time, the teeth of theother detent being half withdrawn from the teeth of the rack-bar whilethe teeth of the I other are in perfect engagement therewith.

1 Thus in shifting the movable jaw on the stem or rack-bar the detentsalternately drop into clutching engagement with the rack-bar, coactionbetween the teeth of the detents and the teeth of the rack-bar beingalternately secured at intervals equal to one-half the spaces betweenthe teeth of the raclebar.

In adjusting the wrench to fit a. given object the movable jaw is pushedforward toward the stationary jaw, the detents alternately dropping intolocking or clutching engagement with the teeth of the rack-bar until thedesired adjustment is secured. There being two locking-points for aspace the width of'a tooth, a close adjustment'is secured, while theteeth are sufficiently large to sustain any ordinary strain to whichthey may be subjected.

To retract the movable jaw from the stationary jaw, pressure is appliedto the head 23 of the stirrrup 11 to depress said stirrup, therebydepressing the detent 14, which, as before stated, is rigidly secured tosaid stirrup, and also depressing the detent 18 through the medium ofthe pin or rivet 21. This depression of the detents frees the teeththereof from the teeth of the rack-bar, when the movable jaw may bereadily moved back the requisite distance. Upon removing the pressurefrom the stirrup the detents are forced back by their respective springsinto engagement with the rack-bar, one. or the other of the detentshaving a locking or clutching engagement with the teeth of saidrack-bar.

As illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, two parallel detents 14, each ofsubstantially half the width of the shank 1, may be employed instead ofthe single detent 14, in which case the teeth of said detents arestaggered in respect to each other, thus providing means whereby a fineror closer adjustment of the movable jaw may be had, as will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which this device appertains.Said detents 14 are provided with separate springs 16 as shown, andinstead of the rivets 13 rigidly holding said detents, as shown in Fig.2, said rivets are projected through relatively larger openings orapertures 22, provided in said detents, thus admitting of an independentfree movement of said detents, they being at the same time under thecontrol of the stirrup. With this arrangement of parts the de tent 18 ispreferably rigidly secured by rivets 21 to the stirrup, as shown in Fig.4.

' In Fig. 7 is illustrated a further modification, in which two detents14 are employed instead of the single detent 14 and in which twoparallel detents 18 are employed instead of the single detent 18, theteeth of said detents 18 being staggered relatively to each other, thusproviding for a still finer or closer adjustment of the movable jaw.With this construction, as will be seen, there are four locking-pointsfor a space the width of a tooth of the shank. Hence a very closeadjustment may be had, and at the same time the strength of the teeth ofthe detents is not materially sacrificed in order to secure suchadjustment. When the four separate detents are employed, they are allprovided with transverse apertures through which relatively smaller pinsor rivets are projected, thus providing for the free and independentmovement of said detents.

A recess 24 is preferably provided in the face of the body 5 of themovable jaw, and fitted in said recess is the lug 25 of a detachable jaw26, having serrations or teeth 27 formed on its face, said jaw beingadapted for use when the device is employed as a pipe-wrench. A centralaperture 28 is provided in the lug 25, through which is projected a pinor screw 29 of a size smaller than that of the aperture, as is clearlyshown in This arrangement EtdIIlltS' Figs. 2, 4, and 8. of the lug whenunder pressure being forced back against the rear wall of the recess,which serves as a bearing for said lug and prevents the said pin orscrew 29 from being subjected to the strain which would result were theaperture and screw of corresponding sizes. A washer 30, through whichsaid pin or screw 29 is projected, serves to hold said lug in place inthe recess 24, said washer fitting firmly upon a bearing-shoulder 31,provided in said body 5, so that undue or binding pressure may not bebrought to bear upon the lug 25. A suitably-mounted spring 32 serves tonormally hold the heel of the jaw 26 pressed forward, as shown.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wrench, the combination with a 1t( lb8,1,0'f a sliding jawcarried by said rackbar, a spring-pressed detent carried by the jaw andcooperatively engaging the rack-bar, said detent being provided with arecess intermediate its ends constituting two rack-en'- gaging portions,one at each end of said detent, a second detent mounted in said recess,the teeth of said detents being arranged so that but one of the detentsat a time is in clutching engagement with the teeth of the rack-bar, theother detent being partially withdrawn therefrom, and a stirrupoperatively connected with said detents whereby, when the former isdepressed, the latter are removed from engagement with the rack-bar.

2. A wrench comprising a coarse-toothed rack-bar having an integral jaw,a jaw slidable upon said rack-bar, a spring-controlled detent verticallymovable in a chamber provided in said movable jaw, said detent having arecess therein intermediate its ends constituting two separaterack-engaging portions a second springcontrolled detent mounted andvertically movable in said recess, each detent having coarse teethcorresponding with the teeth of the rack-bar, said detents being adaptedto ride on the face of the rack-bar as moved forward thereon and havingtheir teeth relatively arranged so that they alternately fall intoclutching engagement with the rack-bar, and means where by said detentsmay be simultaneously disengaged from the rackbar.

3. A wrench comprising a coarse-toothed shank having a fixed jaw, a jawslidably mounted on the shank, a series of springpressed detents withinthe movable jaw, each detent being vertically movable and having teethspaced to correspond with the teeth of the shank, said detents workingindependent of each other to operatively engage the teeth of the shankone at a time, and a stirrup hav ing direct separate and independentconnections with said detents whereby pressure applied to its headsimultaneously removes all the detents from engagement with the shank.

4. A wrench comprising a coarse-toothed shank having a fixed jaw, a jawslidably mounted on the shank, said movable jaw comprising a body havinga shankway therethrough, a tailpiececarried by said body, a lug having ashankway therethrough con nected with said tailpiece, a stirrupvertically movable over the shank between said body and said lug, andspring pressed detents mounted over said tailpiece between the body andthe lug and inclosed by the members of the stirrup, each of said detentsbeing bifurcated constituting two separate shankengaging portions,detents mounted upon the first-mentioned detents in the bifurcationsthereof, all of said detents being normally held in engagement with thetoothed face of the shank, the teeth of said detents being so arrangedthat but one of the detents at a time is in clutching engagement withthe shank, and connections between the stirrup and said detents wherebywhen the stirrup is depressed the detents are simultaneously dis engagedfrom the sh an-ir said connections normally admitting of free andindependent vertical movement in each of said detents.

5. A wrench'comprising a toothed shank, a sliding jaw on said shank andhaving a chamber therein, a series of spring-pressed detents arranged tobe vertically movable in said chamber parallel to the shankway, saiddetents being provided with teeth spaced to I correspond with the teethof the shank, the teeth of the different detents being staggeredrelatively to each other, one set of said detents being recessedintermediate their ends constituting in each detent two separaterackengaging portions, and the remaining detents being mounted in therecesses of the detents composing the set, a stirrup embracing saidshank intermediate the ends of said movable jaw and having connectionswith said detents whereby, when pressure is applied thereto, the detentsare simultaneously disengaged from the shank, said connections admittingof a freedom of vertical movement in said detents.

6. A wrench comprising a toothed shank, a fixed jaw carried by saidshank, a movable jaw upon said. shank, parallel spring-pressed detntsindependently carried by said movable jaw, each of said detents beingsubstantially of one-half the width of the shank and each beingbifurcated, constituting two separate shank-engaging portions freelymovable to ward and away from the shank, the teeth of said detents beingso arranged that the teeth of but one detent is in perfect engagementwith the teeth of the rack at a time, said detents having transverseapertures therethrough, a detent mounted in the bifurcations of thefirst-mentioned detents, a stirrup em bracing said detents on oppositesides thereof, pins projected through the apertures in said detents andrigidly mounted in the opposite members of said stirrup, said pins beingrelatively smaller in diameter than the apertures in the detents andconstituting connections whereby a depression of the stirrup disengagessaid detents and whereby the latter normally stand independent of thestirrup.

7. In a wrench, a shank carrying a fixed jaw, a movable jaw on saidshank, clutching means carried by said movable jaw, a shouldered recessin the face of the movable jaw, a rocking jaw member having a lugintegral therewith, said lug being mounted in said recess, a washermounted upon the shoulder in said recess, a pin projected through saidwasher and lug for retaining them in place, said lug having an enlargedaperture through which said. pin passes whereby a strain upon therocking jaw member is prevented from being communicated to said pin.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

HUSTEAD B. SHAVER.

WVitnesses Mrs. J. W. DAVIDSON, R. G. CATI-IER.

